Ash's Rowlet/Anime/Personality and Characteristics
Rowlet is somewhat naive and inexperienced. In its debut episode, Rowlet brought a wind chime from a market on Melemele Island to its nest, thinking it was . When Ash asked it to find in Getting to Know You!, it returned with a watermelon instead. Similarly, when Ash asked it to try and find Pikachu in Love at First Twirl!, it got distracted by the scent of 's honey donuts. It is drawn to the aroma of Sweet Scent, such as when used by Mallow's Bounsweet in First Catch in Alola, Ketchum-Style! or by Lusamine's in Rescuing the Unwilling!. Rowlet also seems to be a very relaxed Pokémon, as shown in Yo, Ho, Ho! Go, Popplio!, when it spent most of the episode not being bothered by what was going on around it, whether that included being splashed by water or being kidnapped by Team Rocket. Rowlet is often seen sleeping during the day, only waking up when it is needed by someone else, such as its Trainer. This character trait was shown in To Top a Totem! and Currying Favor and Flavor!, when Ash called Rowlet out to battle against a Totem Pokémon and its ally, only to find it sleeping, in need of awakening. In its time as a wild Pokémon, it was even seen nodding off while being lectured by its caretaker, . However, in Lulled to La-La Land!, Rotom noted that Rowlet shouldn't be sleeping so much. Rowlet has been show to sleep through almost anything, such as during battles and whilst being buried under sand, as shown in A Grand Debut!. Despite this, it is loyal towards its friends, and would do anything to protect them. Due to its naivety and inexperience, Rowlet tends to panic when it is separated from Ash; however, this shows its closeness to Ash. Its closeness to its Trainer was also shown when it would sit or sleep on Ash's head, although it would also sometimes sit on Ash's shoulders. Ash and Rowlet quickly bonded after meeting each other. Rowlet likes roosting and sleeping in his backpack, and even doesn't mind having company inside the bag as well, which was mainly shown with and Meltan. Like other members of its species, Rowlet is capable of flying silently, as first shown in To Top a Totem!. In the same episode, it took a chance by fighting against the Yungoos without being commanded. Additionally, in Currying Favor and Flavor!, it was shown instinctively protecting Litten from getting hit by a . These situations have shown that it is an independent and quick thinking Pokémon. In Trial and Tribulation!, Ash noticed this and used its ability to get the upper hand over Hala and his . Rowlet is also seen as a fast flyer as shown in Trials and Determinations! when it was able to dodge a Z-Move with Rockruff in tow. Rowlet has been shown to be easily startled, as shown in They Might Not Be Giants!, where it was cowering in fear from the presence of a , despite the fact that Stoutland was only licking it out of affection. It was also shown to be happy at the thought that Ash would be brought to tears of joy after it reunites with its Trainer and at the thought of being scolded by . Rowlet started to take a more serious approach to battling after its loss to Hau's in No Stone Unturned!. This can be seen when it kept attacking the Substitute Doll, and when it even visited its old foster family for some training. Unlike other Pokémon in the anime who have prevented themselves from evolving, like Ash's Pikachu or Dawn's Piplup, Rowlet doesn't seem disinterested or afraid of evolution, but decided it liked the Everstone it picked up after it allowed it to perform . Starting in Show Me the Metal!, Rowlet formed a close friendship with a . When Meltan's nut head fell off of its body, Rowlet flew to catch it, saving it from a . This was seen again in the next episode, where it tried to substitute its lost nut head for many objects. Rowlet's protectiveness of Meltan saw it take 's in the place of the Hex Nut Pokémon, causing Rowlet's back to become badly damaged. However, Rowlet often has to prevent Meltan from causing damage, such as in SM116, where it prevented Meltan from eating a frying pan.